Coaxial connectors commonly include a detent on one of them which engages a shoulder on the other to latch the connectors when they have been fully mated so they greatly resist unmating. However, when the connectors are slightly less than fully mated, they will commonly appear to be fully mated, but with their contacts remaining engaged only until vibrations or unmating forces progressively unmate the connectors until their contacts are no longer connected. In certain applications such as connectors that connect a vehicle battery to a squib that sets off a pyrotechnic device that inflates an airbag in the event of a crash, such unmating of the connectors might go undetected until the airbag must be inflated. A connector assembly that clearly indicated when the two connectors were not fully mated and fully latched together, would be of value.
The connector that carries current to the squib, is commonly provided with a shorting device that shorts the inner and outer contacts prior to mating of the connector with another one. Otherwise, static electricity buildup or stray radio currents, could set off the squib and the airbag. It is common for connectors to provide a separate device to connect the inner and outer contacts prior to connector mating. If the shorting device could be incorporated into one of the contacts, this would simplify and reduce the cost of the connector.